Philippines' 24/7 health hotline offers affordable, accessible medical info to Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines  — If there is one thing that the digital revolution has taught us, it's that swift and simple solutions beat impractical and complex ones. This is why consumers from all around the globe continue to demand for services that deliver immediate sense of value and results, especially when it comes to provisions of modern healthcare services.

The digital revolution certainly has changed the consumers’ behavior in many ways. It has enabled people to go for smarter choices, allowing them to allocate more time on undertakings they deem more valuable, and even changing the way value is created. For example, online consultation, a model of support for people is becoming well favored more than ever because it delivers immediate results and is cost-efficient.

Now that people around the world have grown more at ease in using different platforms even for  sensitive issues such as healthcare, Globe Telecom has decided to introduce KonsultaMD, a 24/7 health hotline designed to make medical information more accessible, efficient and affordable to majority of Filipinos.

While face-to-face interaction between doctors and patients will always be relevant and important, wouldn’t it be nice to have a doctor within reach anytime you need one?

With Konsulta MD, medical information is just a call away.

Getting effective and reliable help right away

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night feeling unusual, with no one to ask what was wrong? Or accidentally got in a situation that needed medical information, but the nearest hospital is an hour away from where you are? KonsultaMD provides “care anytime, anywhere” through a hotline (+632) 79-880 that is available 24/7.

KonsultaMD saves you from the hassle of finding and scheduling physician appointments by providing straightforward help with health and medical-related questions. This includes medical information to common, but important questions on pregnancy, infant and/or toddler care, fever and other general ailments, signs and symptoms and other concerns.

Entrusting your health with skilled and licensed physicians

The lack of experienced healthcare professionals in addition to under-resourced public hospitals, poor health infrastructure, limited accessibility and high cost of medical consultation induce the behavior among Filipinos towards self-medication - a common practice in the Philippines where people rely on traditional medicines and unfounded advice from family and friends.

With KonsultaMD, Filipinos from all walks of life, including those at the base of the pyramid, will have access to a reliable source of medical information without burning a hole in their pockets.

“We are addressing the pain points in Philippine healthcare by pulling together a team of skilled and licensed doctors who are readily available to provide medical assessment, basic healthcare and permissible medication over the phone.  Not only do we feel that the local market is ready for this kind of service, we feel there is a great need for it considering the low doctor to patients ratio in the country,” said Maridol Ylanan, CEO of Global Telehealth, Inc., an affiliate of Globe Telecom which operates KonsultaMD.

Ensuring cost efficient solution

Aside from “care anytime, anywhere,” KonsultaMD also addresses  “cost of care/operation innovations,” one of nine areas in the healthcare spectrum identified by a global consultancy and research firm as having the biggest potential for disruption and transformation.

KonsultaMD is available to Globe and TM customers at affordable subscription plans. Globe Postpaid customers only need to pay a subscription fee of P150 per month which can be used by up to four household members.

Globe Prepaid and TM customers may subscribe for P15 a week.  Subscription fee is waived for Platinum Elite members. Calls using Globe or TM are charged P1 per minute while calls within Metro Manila via landline are currently free. Non-Globe users have to pay the standard NDD rate for calls outside Metro Manila or regular mobile to landline rate, whichever is applicable.

All Globe consumer postpaid, prepaid and TM customers may subscribe by signing up at www.konsulta.md, by calling (+632) 79-880 or by visiting a Globe Store. Platinum Elite members may subscribe via their Platinum relationship manager. Non-Globe users may visit a Globe Store. 

As early as 2012, Globe Telecom saw the potentially significant opportunity to make improvements to Philippine healthcare using technological advances. Collaborating with SaludInteractiva, one of the foremost companies in the integration and dynamics of healthcare services in Mexico, KonsultaMD was born in an effort to address these challenges. At present, KonsultaMD has about 5,000 active subscribers.